Pumpkin Spice Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello, Cake.

I have a wonderful pumpkin cake to share today! 


About this time last year I had gone on a pumpkin cake baking spree. It never resulted in a blog post as I was disappointed with nearly every recipe that I tried. Some cakes were good, but not so good that I felt they warranted an endorsement.  I had some rather particular ideas of what a pumpkin cake should be like: moist, tender and with just enough spice to provide those fall warm and fuzzy feelings. 

Unfortunately though, I wasn't feeling so warm and fuzzy after baking and tasting all those cakes.  You see, the more recipes I tried, the worse the cakes seemed to get. Some were heavy with spices, which I thought I would enjoy, but often found they gave the cakes a harsh edge. Other cakes I found a bit soapy, which I attributed to the citrus or too much cardamom or ginger in the base. One particular horror to emerge from my ovens was a cake that managed to taste of baking soda and metal.  In all, it was a disappointing run.

So I gave up and moved onto other baking projects to populate the blog. I figured I would pick up the quest again when my desire to eat pumpkin cake returned. Well, along with the damp fall Seattle weather, that desire has returned and this time I found the cake. When I tasted it, I knew no tweaking on my part would improve upon it.  It was just right.  Delightfully moist and echoing the flavors of a pumpkin pie.

It was the perfect base for my whipped cream cheese frosting.  I guarantee a generous slice will provide those warm and fuzzy feelings. 

The recipe I found in Bake: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking. A cookbook I enjoy for both the recipes and the emphasis it places on techniques to execute recipes well.

For this cake I'm going to make two recommendations right off the bat. 

First, use fresh ground nutmeg. We're using a generous amount of nutmeg in this cake and as one of the key flavors, it is important to use what tastes best.  Whole nutmegs are not impossible to find and nor should they be expensive. I get a baggie of 6-8 nutmegs from a small local Indian/Pakistani market for $2.  Specialty food stores will often have them and I've been told even Walmart even stocks them. They're always great to have around this time of the year. Crack one on your counter and give the inner nut (the shell is the spice mace) a good grating with a microplane. It will require nearly a whole nutmeg for this cake. 

Second, use canned pumpkin. Yes, yes, I know it is in vogue among foodies looking to earn gold stars to drag in a large squash and make their own puree but just this once, don't. The canned stuff has just the right level of moisture for the cake and packs the right amount of pumpkin flavor. 

Okay, are we ready? Let's get down to some cake making!

You'll find this recipe to be not only delicious but also simple and reliable. Of course just by saying that someone will mess up and then email me furious, but I'll go ahead and tempt fate by saying it anyway. 

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

from Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

yields 2 8" or 9" cake rounds

3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg

1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed

2 cups canned pumpkin puree

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two 8" or 9" round cake pans with a light coating of non-stick spray and then line the bottoms with parchment. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Once sifted, give it a good mixing with a whisk to ensure everything is evenly distributed and then set aside. 

In a second large bowl, add the brown sugar and a third of the pumpkin puree. Combine the two with a spatula, pressing firmly to ensure there are no rogue lumps of sugar.  Once lump free, add the remaining pumpkin and oil. Blend with a whisk and then add the eggs, one at a time, stirring with the whisk to incorporate after each addition. 

Add the dry ingredients a third at a time, blending after each addition. 

Divide the batter between your two pans and place into the oven on a lower-middle rack.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. 

Let the cakes stand in the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then unmold onto the racks and turn right-side up to cool completely. 

Once cool you can begin on my whipped cream cheese frosting. 

This recipe has been making the rounds on the internet and has been very well received. Light, fluffy and not too sweet it is perfect with this cake. If you haven't tried it yet, you probably should.  

Ms. Humble's Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields enough to frost a 8" or 9" double layer cake. 

1lb (16oz) full fat cream cheese, softened but still cool

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cold heavy cream (use the ultra heavy 40%+ cream if you can find it)

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar and add the cream cheese and vanilla to the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat them thoroughly until fluffy and completely smooth/lump free. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, scrape down the sides of your bowl and quickly and briefly beat to combine. Do not over beat.


Assemble your cake by trimming any humps off the top of the cake and place trimmed side down on your serving platter. Tuck strips of parchment under the cake to protect the platter during frosting, if desired. Dollop a generous amount of frosting onto the first layer--about twice as much as seen below--and smooth into an even layer, about 1cm thick. 

Top with the second cake, again trimmed side down, and proceed with using the remaining frosting to cover the cake. 

Since pumpkin spice cake evokes a certain understated homeyness, I decided to treat the exterior simply. Coating it with the whipped cream cheese frosting and using my small offset spatula to groove the outside edge.  


Should you wish to dress up the cake, consider forming little pumpkins or acorns from white modeling chocolate or dotting the cake with with whole or crushed candied pecans. Even a drizzle of caramel would be welcome here. 


To store, keep refrigerated for up to five days.  Keep the cake well covered to prevent it from absorbing any odors while in the fridge. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 


Enjoy! 

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